Working in the United States

doctorg

Hi all,

I was hoping someone here could guide me. Last year I did exchange to america and loved it over there. After my study I got an internship too over there. In terms of visas, it was all under my J-1.

Now that I'm graduating soon, I want to go and work in america and here's the dilemma. So here is the dilemma, what would be the best way to apply for jobs there ?

Since I'm Irish and don't have an american passport, I would need a work visa to work there. I don't know if companies there would be willing for that?

Please guide me

thegreatgonzo

Isn't there a 12 month graduate visa for the US now?

doctorg

thegreatgonzo wrote: »

Isn't there a 12 month graduate visa for the US now?

Can you tell me more about this please? You like my light at the end of the tunnel!.

thegreatgonzo

Have a look here:
http://www.usavisa.ie/1-year-work-visa

doctorg

thegreatgonzo wrote: »

Have a look here:
http://www.usavisa.ie/1-year-work-visa

Thanks, But this is for internship only. I don't think I can apply for jobs with this?

thegreatgonzo

That's all I know about it, maybe call into USIT and chat to them about it?

Mars Bar

They people over in the USA Forum will help you.

doctorg

Mars Bar wrote: »

They people over in the USA Forum will help you.

Do you think you can move my thread over there rather than me re-posting it?

Mars Bar

I'm not a mod of this forum

Mrs. O'Bumble and Nody are

Nody

//MOD

Moved on request of OP; please note a new charter is in effect.

Local mods feel free to return it to Work & Jobs if it's not a good fit.

//MOD

silja

There is a one-year long J1 that you can do within a year of graduating, so that would be another option, another internship. That is not a proper work visa- only a year with some specific restrictions, but it is not unusual for someone to go on that and then get sponsored for a work visa from the employer.

Your best first step is probably to contact the firm you were with when you originally did the J1, and see if they were impressed enough with you to get you a work visa. Keep in mind, work visas cost the employer upward of $5000, so you need to have pretty strong skills for them to go through that for you.

What qualifications do you have, what field do you work in?

doctorg

silja wrote: »

There is a one-year long J1 that you can do within a year of graduating, so that would be another option, another internship. That is not a proper work visa- only a year with some specific restrictions, but it is not unusual for someone to go on that and then get sponsored for a work visa from the employer.

Your best first step is probably to contact the firm you were with when you originally did the J1, and see if they were impressed enough with you to get you a work visa. Keep in mind, work visas cost the employer upward of $5000, so you need to have pretty strong skills for them to go through that for you.

What qualifications do you have, what field do you work in?

Thanks for the information, I appreciate your help.

I have BSc in computer science and MSc in Forensic Computing.

spideog7

doctorg wrote: »

Thanks for the information, I appreciate your help.

I have BSc in computer science and MSc in Forensic Computing.

Do the J1, there's no difference between an internship and a graduate job in your field, it's just semantics. Your best bet for getting any type of work visa is to impress someone while you're on the J1.

doctorg

spideog7 wrote: »

Do the J1, there's no difference between an internship and a graduate job in your field, it's just semantics. Your best bet for getting any type of work visa is to impress someone while you're on the J1.

I'd have to go though USIT then?

What if I get an offer letter do I still have to go through them?

Dave1442397

Forensic Computing is a good qualification to have. My cousin is majoring in that here in NJ, and she interned with a Wall St. firm that liked her so much they actually pay her to work part time while she's in college.

I think you stand a good chance of getting sponsored with that qualification. You may find that a lot of companies aren't interested in sponsoring you directly, but would rather have you go through a vendor that is used to getting H1B visas for contractors. It would be worth trying to get the actual company to sponsor you if they really like your CV/resume, as you would probably make more money than you would working for one of those contracting companies.

I have a friend at IBM who got burned a couple of times sponsoring people directly. He got one guy all the way through getting his green card, and the guy quit a few months later. He's had it happen enough that he refuses to sponsor people directly any more.

iusedtoknow

Dave1442397 wrote: »

I have a friend at IBM who got burned a couple of times sponsoring people directly. He got one guy all the way through getting his green card, and the guy quit a few months later. He's had it happen enough that he refuses to sponsor people directly any more.

My company have a really strict policy on sponsoring for any type of visa

1. For H1 or L1, the cost of the visa must be equal to less than 10% of the applicants salary

2. For Greencard, the person must be with the company at least 1 year

Once the green card is granted, you must stay with the company two year or pay back the cost of the green card (we actually sign a document to this)

ProudDUB

iusedtoknow wrote: »

My company have a really strict policy on sponsoring for any type of visa

1. For H1 or L1, the cost of the visa must be equal to less than 10% of the applicants salary

2. For Greencard, the person must be with the company at least 1 year

Once the green card is granted, you must stay with the company two year or pay back the cost of the green card (we actually sign a document to this)

The company who sponsored my sister for her green card are very, very strict on this too. Technically, you have to work for them for 2 years after you get it. However, they are usually willing to be flexible and let the clock start from when the application is first submitted, not when it is granted, as long as you don't take the piss and quit the week after you get the green card. Two of her former colleagues did this and chanced their arms, thinking that nothing would come of it. The company weren't having any of it. They got a court injunction against them, that resulted in not just their salary at their new jobs being garnished to pay off their green card bills, they had to cough up for the companies court costs & attorneys fees in getting the injunction too. Ouch !

doctorg

Thanks for the responses guys, I really do appreciate them. I'm more of a single company person. If the company keeps me well, I see no reason to leave.

For the replies it seems the best route is to get the J-1 visa and apply for jobs, that route. Would I be telling the company before hand that I'm only available for the year?

When I was trying to find the internship, I had to struggle quite a bit since companies didn't really want anything to do with visas.

ProudDUB

doctorg wrote: »

Thanks for the responses guys, I really do appreciate them. I'm more of a single company person. If the company keeps me well, I see no reason to leave.

For the replies it seems the best route is to get the J-1 visa and apply for jobs, that route. Would I be telling the company before hand that I'm only available for the year?

When I was trying to find the internship, I had to struggle quite a bit since companies didn't really want anything to do with visas.

Well its not something that I would be shouting from the rooftops at the very first meet and greet. But it is going to come up eventually. If you are asked about it, be honest. You are just wasting everyones time if you lie.

If you aren't asked about it....well then, see how far you can go in the hiring process, before you are asked to provide physical proof of your legal entitlement to live/work for it in the US. (Just be prepared to be asked for it eventually. Companies face stiff fines for hiring illegals, so they ask for it to cover their own backs more than anything else.) Who knows, you may wow them so much during the interview process, that they are willing to do whatever it takes to get you a visa that will keep you in the country once the one year is up.

Mars Bar

But a J1 is only a three month visa?

silja

Mars Bar wrote: »

But a J1 is only a three month visa?

There are two different J1 visas- there is the "summer J1", where you can work pretty much anywhere for a few months, and then there is the one year "internship J1", where your work must be related to your college course.

cena

silja wrote: »

There are two different J1 visas- there is the "summer J1", where you can work pretty much anywhere for a few months, and then there is the one year "internship J1", where your work must be related to your college course.

Do they only get internship wages

iusedtoknow

cena wrote: »

Do they only get internship wages

It depends on the company, some pay full wages - others pay "living expense".

I know one j1 intern, worked for google for a year here in California - got full wages and a job offer at the end for the dublin office, ended up transferring back here and works with one of the gmail teams.

Smart guy and VERY lucky.

doctorg

iusedtoknow wrote: »

It depends on the company, some pay full wages - others pay "living expense".

I know one j1 intern, worked for google for a year here in California - got full wages and a job offer at the end for the dublin office, ended up transferring back here and works with one of the gmail teams.

Smart guy and VERY lucky.

Do you know how it worked in terms of interviews, since google has multiple interviews including on-site.

iusedtoknow

doctorg wrote: »

Do you know how it worked in terms of interviews, since google has multiple interviews including on-site.

For any job in the US, you need to be in the US. If you apply hoping for a video/phone interview you'll be ignored.

A lot of people on the J1 Year visa come over once approved and chance their luck in the job market.

doctorg

As per this document https://www.dfa.ie/travel/visas/us-ireland-visa-arrangements/

I understand as a recent graduate, I'm eligible to work upto 1 year in the US. For this, do I get the visa first or get a job offer first?